Weighted Stuffed Animal

ABSTRACT

A figure toy has a body, characterized by a head and torso, with a fabric covering that is at least partially filled with a stuffing material. A plurality of appendages with a fabric covering, which may include contact pads, are substantially unfilled except that the ends are partially filled with a first particulate material that is preferably in a bag that is sewn to the fabric covering of the appendages. Additionally, a second particulate material that may also be sewn into a bag is preferably sewn to a seam of the torso that normal includes a tag or label.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/190,322, filed on Aug. 28, 2008, and titled “WeightedStuffed Animal”, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Figure toys, such as stuffed animals and dolls, remain popular for playand display by both children and adults. The ability to manipulate thepose of a figure toy is often a valuable feature that enhances theenjoyment and functionality of the figure toy. As shown and described inU.S. Pat. No. 4,296,567, incorporated herein by reference but not bylimitation, Pascal Kamar developed a figure toy having flexibleappendages. A Kamar stuffed animal's simulated arms and legs, which weremanipulatable, were attached to a relatively light weight torso. Theends of each flexible appendage had weight that provided a holdingcapability. As can be seen in the various figures of the Kamar patent, afigure toy could be suspended by the ends of flexible appendages restingon or over a support member, such as a ledge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an improvement to the Kamar figure toy'sconstruction that expands and enhances the available configurations afigure toy can maintain. By uniquely altering the construction of thetorso, a figure toy that otherwise has flexible appendages with weightedends (hands/feet/paws) can support itself in an upright position whenseated on a support member, such as a ledge or floor. We added an easilydeformable bag of particulate filler to the inferio-dorsal region of thetorso using plastic pellets that are about half the density of theparticulate filler inserted into the end of an appendage. Preferably, apellet bag is sewn to a seam of a fabric covering (simulated fur, skinor clothing) of the toy figure adjacent any tags or labels sewn to thetoy; the label providing a good backing material that prevents the seamof the fabric covering material from unraveling if the weight of thepellet bag pulls against the seam.

In an alternate preferred embodiment, a figure toy according to thepresent invention can sit upright on a ledge, even if all of theappendages with weighted ends are allowed to dangle over the ledge, andthe toy will maintain that configuration because of our alternateimproved torso construction. The alternate preferred embodiment ischaracterized by a flattened pelvic girdle that provides a broadenedseating surface, thereby providing added upright stability. Theflattened pelvic girdle also allows for a larger pellet bag to be sewnto the inferio-dorsal region, thereby adding additional mass anddeformability. The resulting lowered center of mass of the torso, alongwith the increased surface area at the base of the torso, prevents thealternate preferred embodiment from being easily pulled over a ledge bythe weight of all of the appendages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a figure toy according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross section through line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the figure toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross section through line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

The following is the list of numerical callouts used in FIGS. 1-4:

-   10 figure toy-   12 fabric covering-   14 body-   16 appendages-   17 opening-   18 end-   19 seam-   20 particulate material-   22 appendage's particulate bag-   24 head-   26 torso-   28 stuffing material-   30 inferio-dorsal region-   34 external features-   36 contact pads-   38 longitudinal seams-   40 rear quarters-   42 label-   44 torso's particulate bag-   46 particulate material

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A figure toy 10 according to the present invention, such as a toyanimal, has a fabric covering 12 that is selectively filled with variousmaterials to achieve a desired flexibility and weight distribution. Themost preferred embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIGS. 1through 4, is a figure toy or doll, such as a stuffed animal, having abody 14 and appendages 16. The appendages are substantially unfilled,except that the end 18 of each appendage is at least partially filledwith a mass of particulate material 20 contained inside an appendage'sparticulate bag 22, such as a mesh bag containing plastic beads. Thebody, which is characterized by a head 24 and torso 26, is substantiallyfilled with a soft stuffing material 28, such as a resilient pillowstuffing material. The torso is uniquely characterized by theinferio-dorsal region 30 being at least partially filled with a mass ofparticulate material. The particulate material in the end of anappendage is smaller and denser than the particulate material in thetorso, as will be explained later. Preferred materials, shapes andmethods of assembly will be discussed, but these preferences are notintended to exclude suitable or functionally equivalent alternatives.

The head 24 of the body 14 is covered with a soft fabric covering 12,except where there are overlying external features 34 such as eyes,ears, a nose and mouth. External features may be simulated usingstitching, or by fastening material or an object that represents anexternal feature. The fabric covering of the head can be simulated fur,simulated skin and/or a simulated article of clothing. Preferably, thehead is filled with a soft and resilient stuffing material 28 that isrelatively light weight, such as a polyester pillow stuffing. To createcontrast, a relatively large external feature, such as a snout, can befilled with a different stuffing material, such as foam.

The appendages 16 of a figure toy 10 typically include two or more legs.Any other appendages are usually arms and/or a tail. The appendagesshown in the various figures represent the four legs of a bear. Theappendages are formed by sewing a soft fabric covering 12, sometimessimilar to that used to cover the head 24, to form a tube of simulatedfur, simulated skin or clothing. The appendages are not filled orotherwise stuffed to allow the appendages to be manipulated andcontorted into a much broader range of positions. Because the appendagesare not stuffed, they will often assume a flattened appearance. Arms, orforward most legs, should be sewn into the seam between the head andtorso 26 such that the broadest surface of such an appendage is facingto a side of the toy figure, as most clearly seen in FIG. 3. Rear mostlegs should be sewn to the bottom of the torso such that the broadestsurface of such an appendage faces the front or rear of the toy figure,as most clearly seen in FIG. 1. There are no particular limitations tothe orientation of a tail or other optional appendage, which may or maynot be stuffed.

The end 18 of each appendage 16, most particularly any simulated hands,feet or paws, are also fabricated from a soft fabric covering 12. Thereis an opening 17 between the end of each appendage and the tubularportion of each appendage, as shown in FIG. 2, so the ankles and wristsdo not appear flattened relative to the ends of the appendages. (Priorart devices ran stitching across an ankle or wrist to prevent a pelletbag from moving into another portion of a toy figure.) The ends of theappendages are partially stuffed with a particulate material 20 fillercontained inside of an appendage's particulate bag 22, more particularlya flexible pellet-filled bag. The bag is most preferably made from asmooth mesh material that allows the particulate material to move aboutfreely inside the bag. At least a portion of the bag is sewn adjacent aseam at or near the end of an appendage, such as along seam 19 on ahand, foot or paw, as shown in FIG. 4. This seam is used to keep the bagnear the end of the appendage. The particulate material for the ends ofthe appendages is preferably plastic pellets having a relatively smalldiameter, but not so small such that the pellets can't be contained bythe bag. Approximately 30 grams (˜1 oz) of about two millimeter averagediameter pellets is preferred to create a desired flow of theparticulates. The specific gravity of the particulate material used inthe ends of the appendages is preferably greater than one. No otherfiller material or stuffing is needed inside the ends of the appendages.

The ends 18 of the appendages 16 are additionally characterized bycontact pads 36 on the plantar side of the simulated feet, and, ifpresent, the palmar side of the simulated hands. The dorsal side of thesimulated feet and/or hands can be any of the previously mentionedfabric materials, such as simulated fur. The contact pads are mostpreferably a flexible vinyl material, such as a vinyl polyurethane, orother simulated skin. Particularly because of static frictional forces,a contact pad lends additional holding capability to the end of anappendage, in addition to the holding capability provided by anappendage's particulate bag 22.

The various appendages 16 and the head 24 are at least partially sewn tothe torso 26 of the body 14. The torso is filled with a relatively lightweight stuffing material 28, similar to that used in the head. Thestuffing material in the head can communicate with the stuffing materialin the torso. The torso is covered with any suitable fabric covering 12that simulates fur, skin and/or clothing. Preferably, the torso will beegg shaped, despite whether that shape is a characteristic of the animalbeing simulated, to improve the posturing ability of the figure toy. Tomake an egg shaped torso, longitudinal seams 38 are used to splicetogether the fabric covering of the torso, which is preferablycharacterized by two rear quarters 40 and either two front quarters or afront half. The seam shared by the two rear quarters generally runswhere the spine of the simulated animal would be located. The bottom ofthis seam, near the inferio-dorsal region 30 of the torso, is thedesigned location to add a label 42 and/or manufacture's tag to thefigure toy by sewing the label to the longitudinal seam. Because thelabel material is usually stronger than simulated fur and the like, thelabel provides a good backing material for more securely holding thread.This strengthened length of seam is used to secure the torso'sparticulate bag 44 inside the inferio-dorsal region of the torso.

The torso's particulate bag 44, located at the inferio-dorsal region 30,is designed to add mass to the torso 26 such that the center of gravityof the body 14 is repositioned more inferiorly. This bag, filled withparticulate material 46, also increases the deformability of theinferior pelvic region of the torso. In order to maintain a desiredweight balance while producing a highly deformable inferior pelvicregion, the particulate material 46 used for the torso is preferablylarger diameter plastic pellets, such as about 4 mm average diameter,that are considerably less dense than the particulate material 20 usedin the appendages. Adding too much weight to the torso will negativelyaffect the ability of the figure toy to be suspended by its appendages.The specific gravity of the plastic or other material used to make thepellets used in the torso is less than one, preferably about half thespecific gravity of the particulate material used to make theappendages. In the exemplary embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1-4, the weightof the torso's particulate bag is about 30 grams (1 oz), about the sameas the weight of an appendage's particulate bag, even though the volumeof the torso's particulate bag is much greater than that of anappendage's particulate bag.

The torso's particulate bag 44 adds mass to the inferio-dorsal region30, and the resilient stuffing material 28 in the torso 26 tends todistend the anterior pelvis, both lending stability and helping toprevent the figure toy from tipping forward. Because it is oftendesirable to posture a figure toy in a forward-facing position, it ismost common for the appendages to be toward the front of the figure toysuch that the weight of the appendages prevents the figure toy fromtipping backwards. The deformability of the torso's particulate bagallows the torso to be manipulated and contorted enough to establish astable configuration that is less likely to tip in any particulardirection.

An alternate preferred embodiment uses essentially the same structure asthe exemplary embodiment except that the torso's particulate bag 44 ismuch heavier, at least twice as heavy as an appendage's particulate bag22. Also, the dorsal region of the torso 26 is broader to accommodatethe larger particulate bag. The added weight makes it difficult tosuspend the figure toy 10 by appendages 16, but the ability to easilyposture the figure toy in a seated position is much better. For somecharacters, this trade-off is desirable. The appendages remain veryflexible, so the ability to contort the appendages into amusingpositions remains a dominant characteristic of the figure toy.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, itwill be realized that alterations and modifications may be made theretowithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

1. A figure toy comprising: a body, characterized by a head and torso,with a fabric covering that is at least partially filled with a stuffingmaterial; a plurality of appendages with a fabric covering that issubstantially unfilled, each appendage being characterized by an endportion that is partially filled with a first particulate material; andwherein the ends of the appendages are at least partially characterizedby contact pads.
 2. The figure toy of claim 1 wherein the figure toy isadapted for undergoing simulated contortions; and wherein the firstparticulate material of the end portions of the appendages provides aholding capability whereby the figure toy can be supported or suspendedfrom a surface by way of at least one of the appendages and its endportion having engagement with the surface, said end portion havingsufficient weight to hold the toy suspended.
 3. The figure toy of claim2 wherein the first particulate material is contained in a bag.
 4. Thefigure toy of claim 2 wherein the first particulate material has aspecific gravity greater than one.
 5. The figure toy of claim 3 whereinthe contact pads are a flexible vinyl material.
 6. The figure toy ofclaim 4 wherein the first particulate material has a specific gravitythat is at least twice the specific gravity of the stuffing material. 7.The figure toy of claim 2 wherein the first particulate material isplastic beads.
 8. A figure toy comprising: a body, characterized by ahead and torso, with a fabric covering that is at least partially filledwith a stuffing material; a plurality of appendages with a fabriccovering that is substantially unfilled, each appendage beingcharacterized by an end portion that is partially filled with a firstparticulate material; and a bag filled with second particulate materialthat is at least partially secured to an inferio-dorsal region of thetorso.
 9. The figure toy of claim 8 wherein the first particulatematerial is contained in a bag.
 10. The figure toy of claim 8 whereinthe second particulate material is contained in a bag.
 11. The figuretoy of claim 8 wherein the first particulate material is at least fiftypercent denser than the second particulate material.
 12. The figure toyof claim 8 wherein the weight of the first particulate material locatedat the end portion of one of the appendages is substantially equal tothe weight of second particulate material located in the torso.
 13. Thefigure toy of claim 8 wherein the weight of second particulate materiallocated in the torso is at least twice the weight of first particulatematerial located at the end portion of one of the appendages.
 14. Thefigure toy of claim 10 wherein the covering of the torso ischaracterized by a longitudinal seam that at least defines two rearquarters, and wherein the longitudinal seam that joins the two rearquarters also joins a tag and/or label near the inferio-dorsal region ofthe torso; and wherein the bag containing the second particulatematerial is fastened to the longitudinal seam adjacent the tag and/orlabel.
 15. The figure toy of claim 8 wherein the second particulatematerial of the torso provides a holding capability whereby the figuretoy can be supported or suspended from a surface by way of the torsohaving engagement with the surface, said torso having sufficient weightto hold the figure toy suspended.
 16. The figure toy of claim 8 whereinan average particulate size of the second particulate material is atleast fifty percent larger than an average particulate size of the firstparticulate material.
 17. A figure toy comprising: a body, characterizedby a head and torso, with a fabric covering that is at least partiallyfilled with a stuffing material; a plurality of appendages,characterized by a tubular construction, made from a fabric coveringthat is substantially unfilled, with one end of the tubular constructionbeing sewn shut and the other end of the tubular construction having anopening that extends into a simulated hand, foot or paw; and wherein thesimulated hand, foot or paw is characterized by a bag, partially filledwith a first particulate, sewn to a seam.
 18. The figure toy of claim 17wherein the fabric covering is simulated fur, simulated skin and/orsimulated clothing.
 19. The figure toy of claim 17 wherein the dorsalregion of the torso is substantially broader than the rest of the torso.20. The figure toy of claim 17 wherein the figure toy is adapted forundergoing simulated contortions; and wherein the first particulatematerial of the end portions of the appendages provides a holdingcapability whereby the figure toy can be supported or suspended from asurface by way of at least one of the appendages and its end portionhaving engagement with the surface, said end portion having sufficientweight to hold the toy suspended.